Difference Between a Contact Group and a List
Contact Group - used to name groups of contacts for identification/segmentation purposes (Ex: Board Members, volunteers, sponsors). These will appear as checkboxes on the contact record. A contact maybe a part of one or many Contact Groups. The group will not change unless, or until, a user modifies the record and checks, or unchecks, a Contact Group.
To create a Contact Group, go to ‘Settings’.
Then, click on ‘Lookup Tables’.
Click on ‘Contact Groups’
Click on ‘Add New’ and name the ‘Contact Group’. Add a description if you would like to and save it. Repeat these steps for as many groups as you need.
The Contact Groups will appear on the Contact Record. See the example below.
You can use the Contact Group as search criteria for a filter for a mailing or a report.
List - a way to create a segmented list of contacts choosing specific information using Eleo's filter tool. A List is dynamic, so every time you run it, it will pull the records that meet these criteria at the time of running it. You do not need to recreate the list every time you make updates. You may use a list by itself, or as a way to narrow down the names listed on a mailing or in a report.
To create a list, go to the ‘List’ tab and click on ‘Add List’.
Give the list a name (try to make it something you will be able to easily recognize. For example: if you create a list of anyone that gave in the year 2021, you may name the list ‘2021 Donors’). You will see that the list will start by showing you the total number of contact records in your database. Add a filter to narrow down the list.
Choose the type of information that you are looking for.
Contact: Choose from the fields on the Contact screen
Gift: Choose from the fields on the Gift screen
Membership: Choose from the fields in the Membership Module
Pledge: Choose from the fields on the Pledge screen
Event: Choose from fields from the Event Module
Grant: Choose from fields from the Grant Module
List: Choose from previously saved Lists
Choose the field you would like to use for your search. (This will vary based on the ‘Type’ that you selected. If you do not see the field that you are looking for, it is possible it is under a different ‘Type’.)
The options will vary at this point depending on which field you chose.
You may have a ‘Condition’ and a filter dropdown. If you are looking for a specific code, you would choose ‘Equals’, and then the name of the code under the ‘Filter’ dropdown.
Whereas a date field will prompt you to choose from one of the preset time frames, or allow you to enter in your own custom date range. Once you have completed your filter, press ‘Save’ on the bottom left.
If you are done with the filter, you can click ‘Save’ on the top right to save this List. (If you would like to add another layer to your filter, skip to the instructions on the next page).
You can then click on the ‘Contacts’ tab, next to the List tab to view the list of names that met the search criteria on the screen. You can also export this information as a PDF, Excel, or CSV file. If you need to, you may also manually add or exclude contacts from this list.
If you need to add another layer to your filter (another option to help narrow or widen your search), click on ‘Add Filter’ again.
Then, same as before, choose the Type, Field, Condition (if applicable), and Filter. Click on ‘Save’.
Notice that above, the filter box is a dropdown, which says ‘All’ of the following are true. If you click the dropdown you can change this to say ‘Any’ of the following are true. You will change this depending on your needs. If you want a narrower search, choose ‘All’, and only records that meet BOTH criteria will be selected. If you want a broader search, choose ‘Any’, and people that meet EACH line of the filter will be combined.
When you are done with your filter, click on ‘Save’ in the upper right-hand corner to save the List. Then you may view the contacts, or export the data to a PDF, Excel, or CSV file.
You can also use this list as a filter for a mailing or a report. See the examples below.
